Lollipop Disaster

Yesterday was one of those days that makes you want to curl up with a coffee and have a little cry, all before 7am.  Just one of those days.

By midday we were finishing up at the doctors and went to the pharmacy with the prescription for antibiotics that would make our days filled with less of poor Woody's crying.  Is it my imagination, or are juvenile ears less resilient than they used to be?

I had amused Jessie and Woody during the 40-minute wait at the doctor's with books, toys and blowing bubbles in the waiting room.  I was now amusing them with the same bubbles as we waited for the prescription to be filled.  Just when I had it all in hand, a pharmacy assistant appeared behind the counter with two garish orange and green lollipops in her hand and a big smile on her face.  She asked the children, "Would you like a lollipop?"

In the future, I will be ready with The Correct Response, which will be toclap and hand over each child's eyes saying, "Oh no, I'm sorry, but they are sick and shouldn't be eating sugary lollies."  Unfortunately I hesitated long enough for them both to see the lollipops and I made The Wrong Decision.  I reluctantly received the lollipops and started trying to liberate them from their tough plastic coffins.

It was not easy.  The plastic was really thick and difficult to break.  I finally got one of the lollipops out and gave it to Jessie first, hoping that was the right decision.  Aware that Woody was patiently waiting, I hurried as I tried to get the other lollipop out of its packaging.

Epic fail.  First I pulled the stick clean out of the lollipop, then I broke the thing into two large pieces and a million sugary crumbs.  Poor Woody.

He accepted the two large pieces with glee but once they were gone, there was no escaping the fact that due to the pharmacy lady's unhelpful generosity and my own oafishness, we were faced with fifteen minutes where Jessie HAD a lollipop, and Woody DIDN'T.  And there was nothing I could do to fix the problem.  If you are about to suggest that I could have taken Jessie's lollipop off her to at least even the score, please pause and think about it.

I need to be more alert at times when my children are offered with things that will make life more difficult, less healthy and are likely to blow up in all our faces.  Of course, one phrase I will be rehearsing is, "Oh no, I'm sorry, but they are sick and shouldn't be eating sugary lollies."